General Training Writing Task 1 · informal · invitation

Letter to a friend inviting them to a party

You are going to organise a family party next week at your home. You want to invite a friend to this party.

Write a letter to your friend inviting him/her to attend the party. In your letter:

explain why you are organising the party
describe what you are planning to do
say why you want your friend to come to the party

Write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses. Begin your letter: Dear ...,

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Sarah,

I hope you have been doing well lately! I am reaching out because I am hosting a small party at my place next Saturday, and it would be wonderful if you could join us.

I decided to organise this get-together because my sister finally finished her master's degree, and we wanted to celebrate her hard work with some close friends and family. It feels like the perfect excuse to gather everyone together after such a long time.

For the evening, I am planning a relaxed backyard barbecue. I have already ordered a mountain of supplies, and my brother has promised to man the grill while I prepare some of my famous salads. Later on, we are planning to set up a projector to show some old home videos, which I am sure will result in plenty of laughter.

I really want you there because you have always been such a supportive friend to my sister. It simply wouldn't feel like a proper celebration without your infectious energy and great sense of humour to keep us all entertained.

Let me know if you can make it by Wednesday so I can finalise the catering.

Best wishes,

Jamie

198 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all bullet points with natural, engaging content and maintains a consistently warm, informal tone throughout. A common Band 6 mistake is using overly formal, repetitive phrases like 'I am writing to invite you' instead of a more natural, conversational opening.

Write to a friend or relative by first name and close with Best wishes, Love or See you soon.
Contractions, phrasal verbs and a warm opening line are expected; a stiff formal tone loses marks here.
Still cover every bullet in its own paragraph; friendly does not mean unstructured.

Useful phrases from the letter

get-together: an informal social gathering or small party
man the grill: to be responsible for cooking the food
infectious energy: a lively personality that influences others positively
finalise: to complete the arrangements for something
catering: the provision of food and drink
reaching out: contacting someone to offer an invitation

Write your own and get a band

Answer this prompt in a timed General Training writing test and get a band for task achievement, coherence, vocabulary and grammar, with the sentences to fix.

Practise IELTS General writing

On your phone? Get the BandLadder app.

Frequently asked questions

Is this letter formal or informal?

Informal. Write to a friend or relative by first name and close with Best wishes, Love or See you soon.

How long should an IELTS General Training letter be?

At least 150 words, and 160 to 200 is the comfortable range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.